Whole Wheat Focaccia (Italian Bread)

Focaccia is a flat italian bread topped with herbs and seasoned with olive oil and salt. It is eaten as a snack in Italy. Here in US, you would normally eat as a sandwich stuffed with cheese and meat/vegetables. It is similar to the making of pizza, instead of rolling the dough thin, it is hand pressed to a even thicker dough and dotting over the unbaked dough(that is making indentations)is practiced. The recipe calls for no wheat flour, so if you want a light airy bread, you can replace the wheat flour with all purpose flour. Pushing to be a bit more healthy turns the bread a little dense. But the bread was very soft and tasty. My food critic complained about the denser side, but he absolutely loved the taste. Feel free to top the bread with your favorites and enjoy the hot bread. Baking breads at home are so comforting and therapeutic and makes your whole kitchen smell heavenly. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Whole wheat flour

2 cups + 1/4 cup All purpose flour (maida)

1 pack Rapid rise yeast

1/4 cup + 2tbsp Olive oil

1 2/3 cups warm Water

1tsp Sugar

2 1/2tsp Salt

Topping:

1tsp dried Rosemary

few thinly sliced Red onion

How to:

• Grease a 15x10" baking sheet with olive oil and keep it aside.
• Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water and let sit for 5 mins.

• In a big bowl, add the flours and salt, mix well, followed by 1/4 cup olive oil.
• Once the yeast bowl is foamy, pour'em into the flour bowl and bring it together starting to knead.

• Dust the surface by slowly adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour and knead for 15 mins to a soft, non-sticky dough.

• Transfer the dough onto the greased baking sheet and flatten'em evenly by pressing with your hands.

• Cover the dough with a wet kitchen towel and let rest for 1 1/2 hrs in a warm place to rise.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Meanwhile mix the 2tbsp olive oil with the rosemary and onion and keep it aside.

• Once the dough is risen, make indentations all over the dough with your finger.

• Now, with a pastry brush, spread the oil mixture on top the dough. Also arrange the left over onion slices and sprinkle a pinch of salt on top.

• Bake the bread for 20 mins. Let it cool before you slice'em.

• Serve it as a snack, use it for making sandwiches or drizzle some almond butter and gobble it up like me.

To Store, refrigerate the left over bread in a tight container.